28 DAYS IN THE OPEN 



sistently avoids the squirrel. Possibly it is too 

 heavy for the slight muscles. Certainly the boy's 

 heart is beating a tattoo, and a severe attack of 

 " squirrel fever " has him in its grip. Just as de- 

 spair is completely overwhelming the lad, he sees a 

 big log near by, and loses no time in getting behind 

 it, with the gun resting upon it and pointing toward 

 the tree-top. With this rest it is possible to keep 

 the contraptious old gun still for a minute. Care- 

 fully he pulls back the hammer, takes a long sight 

 over the barrel, and lets go. Have the heavens 

 fallen and has the world come to an end? The 

 gun bellows, and the boy turns a back-somersault 

 in the snow, vaguely fancying that the entire uni- 

 verse has struck him. The squirrel is forgotten 

 for a moment in the surprise caused by the back- 

 action of the gun. But it is only for a moment, 

 and then digging the snow out of his eyes, the boy 

 peers anxiously up at the limb just occupied by the 

 squirrel. It is empty. Has he missed him ? Just 

 when humiliation begins to creep into his heart he 

 sees a grey heap on the snow, and sorrow turns to 

 joy. 



With gun over his shoulder and the squirrel hid- 

 den behind him, he takes the back trail, and soon 

 rejoins the chopper. " I heard the gun go off," 

 says the old boy. " What did you shoot at ? " "A 

 grey squirrel," is the answer. " Missed him, 

 eh? " This is the moment of supreme happiness, 

 as the concealed game is brought to the front and 



